Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024 - 39

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARIES
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Informal Admonitions Issued
by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel
In re Betty M. Ballester. Bar No. 271635. May
29, 2024. Disciplinary Counsel issued Ballester
an informal admonition. While representing a
client as a member of the Criminal Justice Act
Panel, Ballester failed to perform any substantive
legal work on the client's motion for
compassionate release, failed to schedule any
hearings, failed to request the client's medical
records, failed to take any action to further
the client's case, and failed to communicate
in violation of Rules 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.3(a), 1.3(c),
1.4(a), and 1.4(b).
In re Ferguson Evans. Bar No. 420311. July 22,
2024. Disciplinary Counsel issued Evans an informal
admonition for violating Rules 1.1(a),
1.1(b), and 1.3(a). While appointed under the
Criminal Justice Act to represent a client who
pled guilty to a violent offense, Evans failed
to provide competent, zealous, and diligent
representation by failing to argue, at any
point, that D.C. Superior Court should follow
the recommendation of a youth study and
impose sentencing under the Youth Rehabilitation
Amendment Act.
In re Nti Nana. Bar No. 1028396. June 24, 2024.
Disciplinary Counsel issued Nana an informal
admonition. While retained to represent a client
in an immigration matter, Nana failed to
deposit client funds in an approved depository
in compliance with the District of Columbia's
Interest on Lawyers Trust Account program,
violating Rule 1.15(a).
In re Lauckland A. Nicholas. Bar No. 417235.
May 29, 2024. Disciplinary Counsel issued
Nicholas an informal admonition for violation
of Rules 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.3(a), 1.3(c), 1.4(a), and
1.4(b). While appointed by the court to represent
a client regarding their motion for compassionate
release, Nicholas failed to perform
any substantive legal work on the client's
case, did not provide any status updates to
the client, failed to take any action to further
the client's case, and failed to communicate.
Disciplinary Actions Taken
by Other Jurisdictions
In accordance with D.C. Bar Rule XI, § 11(c), the
D.C. Court of Appeals has ordered public notice
of the following nonsuspensory and nonprobationary
disciplinary sanctions imposed on
D.C. attorneys by other jurisdictions. To obtain
copies of these decisions, visit www.dcattorney
discipline.org and search by individual names.
In re Theodore M. Cooperstein. Bar No.
422049. On July 15, 2024, the New Hampshire
Supreme Court Professional Conduct Committee
publicly censured Cooperstein for
three violations of New Hampshire Rules of
Professional Conduct 3.3(a)(1) (making a false
statement of fact or law to a tribunal) and
8.4(c) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty,
fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation). This
discipline was based on an underlying matter
wherein the Supreme Court of Mississippi
Committee on Professional Responsibility privately
reprimanded Cooperstein following his
self-report that he had on three occasions
misrepresented his vaccination status to a
federal judge in Mississippi during the summer
of 2021. At the time of those misrepresentations,
the federal court in Mississippi
had a standing COVID mitigation order that
required unvaccinated court participants to
wear a mask.
Disciplinary Actions Taken by the Board
on Professional Responsibility Hearing
Committees on Negotiated Discipline
In re Alisha E. Gordon. Bar No. 1010943. July
16, 2024. The Board on Professional Responsibility's
Hearing Committee Number Four recommended
that the D.C. Court of Appeals
accept Gordon's petition for negotiated discipline
and publicly censure her with conditions
for violations of Rules 3.3(a), 8.4(c), and
8.4(d).
In re Brian R. Gormley. Bar No. 488494. July 24,
2024. The Board on Professional Responsibility's
Ad Hoc Hearing Committee recommended
that the D.C. Court of Appeals accept
Gormley's petition for negotiated
discipline and publicly censure him with
practice management and continuing legal
education requirements for violations of
Rules 1.7(b) and 5.1(a).
Disciplinary Actions Taken by the Board
on Professional Responsibility
Original Matters
In re Sara J. King. Bar No. 1033988. June 25,
2024. The Board on Professional Responsibility
recommended that the D.C. Court of Appeals
disbar King, pursuant to D.C. Code § 112503(a),
based on her conviction of a crime
involving moral turpitude per se. King pled
guilty to wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343) and
money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1957) in the
United States District Court for the Central
District of California. The Board on Professional
Responsibility found there was moral turpitude
per se based on wire fraud.
In re Larry E. Klayman. Bar No. 334581. July 30,
2024. The Board on Professional Responsibility
recommended that the D.C. Court of Appeals
suspend Klayman for 18 months with
fitness for violation of Rules 3.1 (frivolous
claims), 3.3(a) (candor to tribunal), 8.1(a) and
8.1(b) (false statements in connection with
bar admission application), 8.4(a) (knowingly
assisting another in violating the Rules), 8.4(c)
(dishonesty), and 8.4(d) (serious interference
with the administration of justice), and for
engaging in conduct unbecoming a member
of the bar in violation of Fed. R. App. P. 46(c)
and Rule 8 of the Rules of the United States
Supreme Court.
In re Steven Kreiss. Bar No. 58297. July 29,
2024. The Board on Professional Responsibility
recommended that the D.C. Court of Appeals
suspend Kreiss for one year with fitness
for violations of Rules 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.3(a),
1.3(b)(2), 1.4(a), 1.4(b), 1.5(a), 1.15(a), 1.16(d), and
8.4(c). In connection with his representation
of a client who sought to become a permanent
resident and avoid deportation, Kreiss
failed to represent his client with competence
and skill and care, failed to act diligently
during the representation, failed to keep
the client informed, intentionally prejudiced
the client during the course of the professional
relationship, and engaged in dishonesty.
Specifically, Kreiss filed an appeal of an ini>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
2024 * WASHINGTON LAWYER 39
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Washington Lawyer - November/December 2024

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